Rassie Erasmus has come under fire for allegedly using a fake Twitter account to criticise the refereeing after the Springboks' defeat to the Lions. Photos / Getty Images, Twitter
Rassie Erasmus has come under fire for allegedly using a fake Twitter account to criticise the refereeing after the Springboks' defeat to the Lions. Photos / Getty Images, Twitter
Springboks director of rugby and World Cup-winning coach Rassie Erasmus has come under fire for allegedly using a burner account on Twitter to criticise the referee's calls in the first test against the British and Irish Lions.
While Erasmus is yet to respond to the allegations, speculation has been rifeover the past 24 hours that the 48-year-old former coach operates a second, fake account under the alias "Jaco Johan".
Erasmus, whose full first name is Johan, has been locked in a war of words with Lions coach, Kiwi Warren Gatland, for weeks, but publicly praised the visitors after the Cape Town clash and said there were "no excuses" for the 22-17 defeat.
Following the loss, however, Erasmus retweeted a video from the anonymous account featuring several refereeing calls that went against the Springboks, replying to the account saying: "Thanks. This is rugby – sometimes calls go for you and other times they don't".
Thanks. This is rugby - sometimes calls go for you and other times they dont https://t.co/ONZp0uoWJF
Twitter users wasted little time in speculating that "Jaco Johan" is, in fact, Erasmus himself using the fake account to air grievances he wouldn't using his own name - and "having conversations with himself".
Users pointed to the fact the anonymous account had never tweeted anything before responding to Erasmus with the video compilation, had no followers yet was able to access high-quality video footage, and its only activity since it was created five years ago were all engagements with teams Erasmus were involved with at the time.
One user wrote called it "embarrassing from SA Rugby", while others saw the funny side.
Thanks. This is rugby - sometimes calls go for you and other times they dont https://t.co/ONZp0uoWJF
Active on social media, he has almost 38,000 Twitter followers and regularly shares behind-the-scenes footage of the Boks. Erasmus has also regularly used the platform to clash with European journalists.
Rassie Erasmus on the pitch during the first test between the Springboks and British and Irish Lions in Cape Town. Photo / Getty Images
Gatland, who is taking a break from coaching the Chiefs on Super Rugby to tour with the Lions this season, last week questioned Erasmus' role as "water boy" during the visitors' defeat to the South African A side - and again during the first test.
Erasmus was seen throughout the matches relaying messages to his players - at times without carrying any water.
"It's a little bit interesting. You won't see me doing that," Gatland said at the time.
"Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. A little bit strange that the director of rugby of South Africa is also a water boy.
"He is a water boy and running on the pitch. I think if you are the water boy carrier running onto the pitch you have got to make sure you are carrying water. I didn't understand what his role was. You don't run onto the pitch giving messages and stuff if you are the water boy without carrying the water. My advice is to make sure he is carrying water the next time he does that."
The second of three tests kicks off at 4am on Sunday (NZT).
